Other

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Facebook, Inc.

Pelikan Technologies, Inc.

Nvidia Corporation

Mythtree, Inc.

Michael Brian Wittig

Dirk Boecker

Hugh Miller Herr

Gill A Pratt

Steven J Furuta

Amir Meir Michael

Bruce Wayne Deffenbaugh

Dominique M Freeman

Don Alden

Michael Roger Cane

Matt Schumann

Michael Beadman

In one embodiment, a rotor is coupled to the support such that the rotor can rotate about an axis of rotation relative to the support. The rotor has a first surface for supporting a piece of flexible material at a diameter D about the axis of rotation. The carriage is coupled to the support such that the carriage is constrained to slide parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor. A second plurality of pulleys comprises a third pulley, a fourth pulley, and a fifth pulley. The piece of flexible material is coupled to the rotor, then helically wound around the first surface of the rotor with a lead l, then wrapped around the third pulley, then wrapped around the first pulley, then wrapped around the fourth pulley, then wrapped around the second pulley, then wrapped around the fifth pulley, then coupled to the support.

Rotary-to-linear transmission system

According to one aspect, a drive system includes a support structure, a first motor, a second motor, an output element, a first transmission, a second transmission, and an elastic element. The first motor comprises a first stator and a first rotor, the first stator of the first motor being coupled to the support structure. The second motor comprises a second stator and a second rotor, the second stator of the second motor being coupled to the support structure. The first transmission is coupled between the first rotor of the first motor and the output element. The second transmission is coupled between the second rotor of the second motor and the output element. The elastic element is coupled between the first rotor of the first motor and the second rotor of the second motor.

Drive system for minimizing backlash

Rotary-to-linear transmission systems are disclosed comprising a support, at least one pulley coupled to the support, a rotor having an axis of rotation, a carriage, at least one pulley coupled to the carriage, and at least one piece of flexible material coupled to the rotor, wound around the rotor, wrapped around at least one pulley coupled to the carriage, wrapped around at least one pulley coupled to the support, and wound around the rotor again.

A primary objective of the present embodiments is to provide a transmission that may be simple in design, low in weight, and have a reduced cost of manufacture while being capable of a relatively high ratio.

Transmission system

A joint apparatus with two degrees of freedom and a large range of singularity-free motion is provided including a first support, a second support, a pivot coupled between the first and second supports for allowing the second support to tilt in first and second directions relative to the first support, a first linkage coupled between the first and second supports for tilting the second support in the first direction relative to the first support, and a second linkage coupled between the first and second supports for tilting the second support in the second direction relative to the first support.

Two-axis joint

In one embodiment of the invention, a watercraft has belts along its outer surfaces.

Method and apparatus for low drag watercraft

A quick lock and release mechanism is provided for securing and releasing a server or other computing asset, including a server tray, from a server rack. The server is equipped with a quick release tab that is biased to fit into an opening in the server rack. To install the server in the rack, the server is secured to the rack by aligning and inserting the quick release tab into the opening. The server can then be removed from the rack by retracting the quick release tab from the opening. The server rack may include a plurality of shelves cut out from the rack to hold multiple servers in the rack.

Server rack component with quick release mechanism

An efficient and quick mechanism provides for retention and removal of hard drives on a computer chassis. A hard drive is placed in a hard drive housing, which includes one or more pins on the outside of the housing and a opening on a side of the housing. The pins on the hard drive housing align with and fit inside slots located on the chassis. The chassis also includes a spring plunger that inserts into the opening of the hard drive housing. The insertion of the spring plunger into the opening of the hard drive housing secures the housing to the chassis. The pins can be uncoupled from the slots and the spring plunger can be released from the opening to quickly remove the hard drive housing from the chassis.

Hard drive retention mechanism

A rotor system is provided wherein coaxial, closely spaced multi-bladed rotors counter-rotate at extremely low RPMs while their pitches are controlled to account for wind gusts and velocity conditions, thereby eliminating many of the deficiencies of conventional helicopters. The embodiments can dramatically decrease the power required to lift a given quantity of weight, even beyond the level required by a typical airplane.

Method and system for stall-tolerant rotor

The present invention relates to a variable-torque magnetorheologically actuated prosthetic knee which utilizes a plurality of interspersed and alternating rotors and stators to shear magnetorheological fluid in gaps formed therebetween. Advantageously, by operating in the 'shear mode' there is substantially no or negligible fluid pressure buildup or change. Moreover, the multiple MR fluid gaps or flux interfaces desirably allow for the production of a large torque at low speed&#x2014;eliminating the need for a transmission&#x2014;and also for a wide dynamic torque range. One embodiment of the invention allows the rotors and/or stators to close the gaps therebetween to create a frictional torque component, thereby forming a 'hybrid' braking system which provides a total torque or damping which is a combination of viscous torque and frictional torque.

Electronically controlled prosthetic knee

According to one embodiment, an electric actuator is provided comprising windings constructed from a conductive core of high magnetic permeability material surrounded by an electrical insulator. The conductive core simultaneously carries an electric current and a magnetic field, resulting in an actuator that can develop a high force or torque for its size compared to conventional electric actuators.

Electric actuator

A device for use in penetrating tissue to obtain a body fluid sample is provided. A cartridge may be included. A plurality of penetrating members are slidably coupled to the cartridge. Each penetrating member has a distal end that is sufficiently sharp to pierce tissue. Each penetrating member may be moveable relative to the other ones of the penetrating members so that the sharpened distal ends extend radially outward to penetrate tissue. The penetrating members are elongate members without molded attachments.

Method and apparatus for a multi-use body fluid sampling device

A device for use with a gripper is provided. A cartridge is provided that defines a plurality of cavities. A plurality of penetrating members are at least partially contained in the cavities of the cartridge. The penetrating members are slidably movable to extend outward from the cartridge to penetrate tissue. Each cavity has a longitudinal opening that provides access to an elongate portion of the penetrating member. A sterility barrier is coupled to the cartridge. The sterility barrier covers a plurality of the longitudinal openings. The sterility barrier is configured to be moved so that the elongate portion is accessed by the gripper without touching the barrier.

Method and apparatus for a multi-use body fluid sampling device with sterility barrier release

Embodiments of the present invention provide for a noise-reducing blower structure in which a fan-housing is disposed on an expansion card and juxtaposed to a heat sink. The heat sink is disposed on the expansion card and resides within a rigid frame above a processing unit chip. A fan that circulates air is disposed on the expansion card within the fan-housing. A duct is disposed on the expansion card, covering the heat sink and the fan-housing, and the duct is mechanically separated from the fan-housing for reducing vibration noises. By placement of the fan next to the heat sink, and not on top of it, the fan can be made larger to thereby rotate at slower speeds.

Noise-reducing blower structure

The present invention includes an apparatus that can be used for easily relating properties of a miniature to an off-miniature reference. Because the game properties are off the miniature, there is unlimited space available for tracking them.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Michael Brian Wittig